RHOne of your current projects is the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Texas. Again you prefer concrete and glass to other materials.
TAConcrete and glass are two of the representative materials of this century. In case of the Fort Worth Museum the concrete walls outside are covered with glass, which softens the appearance of the massive structure. Museums are first of all spiritual meeting places and not so much keepers of valued objects. It is therefore important to create a meditative atmosphere that allows the viewer to feel undisturbed, uninhibited and protected, so he can find his own unique relationship with art. To live with architecture is like living with a tree that we planted when we were kids. We will be attached to it for the rest of our life. Trees and architecture are the builders of our memories.
RHAfter Kobe, another disaster struck, this time in New York. Again you felt obliged to comment as an architect.
TAMy design for Ground Zero in New York is a simple, grass-covered mound of earth shaped like a traditional Japanese grave. Japanese people would recognize it as a burial site at once, but Americans might not. Perceptions change from culture to culture. But regardless of their cultural identity, people know instinctively when they enter a memorial. This is the result of a global sensitivity.
At Ground Zero I imagined that people would sit on the grassy mound, and that these strangers would strike up conversations, talk about their experiences and take comfort in the company of others. This would never happen if they erect more skyscrapers buildings that merely celebrate America’s dominant economic power. 9/11 was not a purely American experience. It was a global tragedy. That’s why I would have preferred that the government had bought Ground Zero. It could have turned it into a place of peace, tranquility and reflection to invite people from around the world to use it as a site for meditation.
RHIf you had to build a shelter for yourself, how would it look like?
